Christmas Bonds
by MissScorp
Summary: There are some things that Bruce Wayne can't do and some fights that Batman can't be involved. Especially when the combatant is an old witch in a cotton candy dress. Bit of Christmas fluff. One-shot. *Complete*


_He's gotta be terrified_, Raya thought as she made her way through the throng of people to where Bruce Wayne stood with his hand on the shoulder of a dark-haired boy all of thirteen.

Other than Bruce having officially adopted him a few days ago, she knew little about the boy. Between her internship hours at Arkham, tutoring people in English and History, and her professors keeping her busy with research papers and exams she had been unable to come home until now.

All she knew about their newly adopted family member was that his name was Jason Todd, he came from Gotham's East End, and he had recently been orphaned after his mother died of a drug overdose.

Oh, and there was the fact he tried to boost the tires off the Batmobileand dared to get mouthy with Batman after he got caught.

The expression on Jason's face was a combination of teenage pride and bravado. Beneath that bit of boyish courage was a fearful realization about how he was swimming inside a steel cage surrounded by bloodthirsty sharks. Bruce was doing his best, by the glint she saw in his electric eyes, to not simply wade into the swirling waters and rip the tiger sharks circling his new son apart.

Well, this wasn't a fight that either Bruce Wayne or Batman could fight. This was what her aunt Barbara would call a womanly sort of fight. And considering _she_ was the defacto woman of the house? Meant it was up to her.

Head high, back ramrod straight, she walked up to where Jason stood watching the people in their evening finest whirl around the ballroom. Oh, the whispers began the second she took the wide-eyed teen's hand in hers — and God was it trembling — and led him out onto the dance floor.

_Let them whisper _was her opinion. Her blood was as blue as theirs and her pedigree beyond compare.

"Who the hell are ya?" Jason whispered furiously as she circled his shoulders with one arm. "And what the hell are ya doing?"

"I'm Raya." His mouth popped adorably open. "As for what I'm doing… I'm slaying the dragons trying to gobble you up."

Jason's look said he wasn't amused. Raya merely smiled reassuringly at him before nodding to the band that stopped playing the second she stepped on the dance floor. A slow song started and she guided Jason through the steps.

"Yanno these jerks are gonna rip ya to shreds for dancing with me."

"My family name and social stature might not be the same as Bruce's," she said as other couples joined them. "And while I don't go by the name Berkeley anymore, it _is_ still my name. It still carries a great amount of social clout among these vultures."

A dark shadow passed over Jason's face. It so reminded her of Dick when he was this age that she shot a quick look to where he danced with her cousin, Barbara. If not for Dick being more olive complexioned she might have believed the two related.

"So, you're only dancing with me to get these fancy scumbags to accept me."

That brooding tone, though, she recognized as belonging to Bruce. _Well, there's one way to handle Bruce Lite, _she decided as Barbara and Dick whirled by them.

"I'm dancing with you because I want to dance with you," she declared in a firm tone. "And you should be flattered for the record."

"Yeah?" A suspicious look crept across his face. "And why's that?"

"Because my first dance always goes to Bruce."

"It does?"

"I've totally tossed him over for you." Her lips curved into an impish grin. "His feelings are gonna be big time hurt about this."

"Aw, you're pulling my leg."

"Nope, I'm not." She smiled at his snort. "Ask Dick if you don't believe me."

"Why ain't ya dancing with Dick, anyway?"

"Cause I want to dance with you." She nodded towards the other couple. "And he's dancing with my cousin, Barbara."

"Ain't you his girlfriend?"

"No." She chuckled softly. "I'm not a red-head."

"Huh?" Jason frowned his confusion. "Why's that matter? You're nice looking enough."

"Why, thank you," she teased playfully. "Not so bad-looking yourself."

"Aw, quit it." The tips of his ears reddened. "Seriously, though, why's red hair so important?"

"Dick has a thing for women with red hair."

Jason fell quiet after that. _Processing_, she decided as he darted a look at her from beneath lowered lashes. _Trying to figure out if I'm being sincere or joking_.

"No fooling?"

"He's dated two red-heads and crushed on like a dozen others since he and I met."

"Really?"

"Really." They continued to dance in silence. "You seem to finally be enjoying yourself."

"Dancing with you ain't so bad."

She gave him a cheeky grin. "Well, I'm glad to hear that I, at least, meet with _some_ approval."

"Aw." His cheeks filled with hot color. "Ya ain't like any of these bums so I don't mind ya so much."

She laughed softly.

"No, I'm definitely not like any of these bums."

The song finally ended. Raya tucked her hand into the crook of Jason's elbow and together, they walked back to where Bruce stood next to Alfred and the chief executive officer of Wayne Enterprises, Lucius Fox.

Both men stood there with a glass of champagne in their hands. Lucius's neatly trimmed hair and mustache were starting to become more salt than pepper, and there was an attractive shadowing of silver now at his temples that lent him a distinguished charm.

He traded in his usual business suit and old-fashioned bow tie for a tuxedo with a mother of pearl stick button and smoke colored cummerbund that made him cut a dashing figure.

"Hello, Mr. Fox." Raya smiled warmly at him. "It's a pleasure to see you out of the boardroom."

"Good evening, Miss Kean." Lucius inclined his head. "Mister Wayne wasn't sure we'd actually be seeing you at tonight's Ball."

"I wasn't sure I was l going to be able to attend the Ball myself," Rayaadmitted with a sheepish grin. "I had exams until six and hadn't even bought a dress to wear."

"As if you don't already have a closet full of evening gowns to pick from in your closet upstairs, imp."

Raya snorted and leaned up to brush a kiss to the billionaire's cheek.

"Girls need something new to wear to every party they attend, Bruce."

A twinkle appeared in Bruce's eyes. "I wonder where you learned that."

"Couldn't be from the man who has a walk in closet full of suits," she teased.

Bruce was about to reply but a shrill voice interrupted.

"Brucey! I will have a word with you this instant!"

Raya swallowed a groan as she recognized who that voice belonged. She turned as a diminutive, silver-haired lady tottered towards them in a cotton candy colored gown straight out of the 1940s. Alexandria Vandercourt, mother of John and Ashton Vandercourt, Bruce's current competitors in the shipbuilding industry,

That Alexandria considered herself the _Grande_ _Dame_ of Gotham high society wasn't lost on anyone. Everybody was expected to defer to her, even Bruce.

Not that he did.

_This isn't gonna be pretty_, she realized as the matron reached them, her son John cowering a few steps behind her.

"Brucey, you are to explain how you could have allowed that boy of yours to disgrace your family's good name by becoming a common blue-collar worker. As if bringing home this..." She gestured towards Jason with one bejeweled hand. "Mongrel was not humiliation enough. Why, your poor mother and father must be turning over in their graves at this sad turn of events."

Raya, as well as Bruce, bristled. Unlike her, Bruce needed to maintainthe social mask that he wore. Pretending he was a self-absorbed, borderline alcoholic, and all around degenerate was how he kept his identity as Batman a secret.

Raya could sense he wanted to drop the façade and rip the woman to pieces for having spoken about both of his boys in such a condescending fashion. She set a hand on his arm as Dick approached with Barbara. The angry flush on his face said he overheard what Alexandria said about him and Jason.

_Oh, this is not good…_

"I'm afraid I do not know what you are talking about, Alexandria."

"Oh, come now, Brucey," the woman twilled. "Surely you know what everyone is saying about young Richard having decided to become a member of the Blüdhaven Police Department."

"No, I'm afraid, I don't."

Raya hazarded a glance at Bruce's face. Oh yea, that thick, impassive mask, the one he cultivated to conceal his true thoughts and emotions, was most definitely slipping. Not that Alexandria minded or cared. She simply continued her tirade.

"Why, it's simply disgusting how you poured so much time and money into turning that boy into an acceptable member of society only for him to repay your kindness by choosing to enter a common profession. Hopefully this…" She slanted a look at Jason. "_Creature_ will turn out differently."

A muscle ticked in Bruce's jaw, was her only clue about how tight a reign he was keeping over himself at that moment.

_That control is unraveling and quickly, though_.

She couldn't rightly blame him for being so angry. His sons were being rudely insulted by an old biddy with a high opinion of her own worth. _Well, Hagatha_, she thought as she draped an arm around Jason's stiff shoulders. _It's tit-for-tat time._

"I will not have some loud-mouthed harpy insulting the members of my family." She spoke in a polite, but firm voice. "Especially when she is a guest in our home." Dick snickered behind her. "It would seem that protocol has been forgotten because a guest should becompletely mindful of both their manners, as well as their forked tongues."

Alexandria's eyes clashed with hers, held. Fighting for control and dominance. When she realized Raya wasn't going to cower, the Grand Dame said in a stiff, formal voice, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Raya smiled coolly. "But I will happily repeat myself if you need

me too."

Alexandria stepped back and, with all evidence pointing to shrewd consideration, quickly glanced at Raya's ring finger.

"I wonder if you're like your mother," she said when she spied the aquamarine ring set in white gold. "Preferring a dirty gypsy to a man of your own class and good breeding."

Dick let out a vehement curse and went to step forward but Rayastayed him with a look.

"Oh, are we really going to get that nasty, Mrs. Vandercourt?" Bruce's fingers curved around her elbow. A silent show of support but also a warning to not take things too far. "Because if we are then it would be remiss of me to not address how your youngest son, Ashton, was recently arrested for having sex with underage male prostitutes."

The Grand Dame gasped as Barbara discreetly coughed to cover up her laugh.

"Why you impertinent lit..."

"And it would be totally remiss of me," she continued as voices started whispering around them, "to not mention how he's also being indicted on charges for his involvement in the underage sex traffic ring that erupted in Gotham earlier this year."

The Grand Dame's face twisted into a hideous mask of hate.

"You'll pay for this," she snarled. "I will see to it that the doors of society are closed to you forever."

"No, they won't be," Raya said sweetly. "Because I am not only Raya Kean-Berkeley but an accepted member of the Wayne family, as well. And Mrs. Vanderclourt, we both know that among Gotham high society that both of those names carry far more social influence than yours does." Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Something I would remember the next time you malign or threaten a member of this family."

A silent battle waged for a number of impregnable seconds between them. Finally, the Grand Dame slammed the tip of her cane on the floor and barked over her shoulder at her hovering son, "Come John! We're leaving!"

And the Vandercourt's stormed from the ballroom.

"Holy shi… uh crap..." Jason stammered. "Did you just tell off that old crone or what?"

"And that was Raya being civil," Barbara joked. "You should see when she decides to get really nasty with someone."

"Alfred would have had a fit if I got that nasty." Raya glanced at the butler. "Right?"

"One must always be a lady, Miss Raya."

Alfred's tone was stiff and proper but there was a twinkle in his eyes that told her he approved of how she handled things.

"I just don't get why ya did it. I mean, I get why ya got piss— mad," he quickly corrected with a glance in Alfred's direction, "about her talking that crap about Dick. But why did ya get so upset about her talking stuff about me?"

"Because you're family," Dick said. "And nobody messes with our family."

"Yeah, well," the boy mumbled, looking down at his feet. "We ain't family. Not really."

"We became family when Bruce brought you home." Dick set a hand on his shoulder. "Don't ever doubt that."

"Yanno, he's always pestering me about what I want for Christmas…" Raya waited until Jason lifted his head to look at her. "Guess he finally figured out what to get me without me having to give him a bazillion clues."

"Yeah?" One of Jason's brows lifted. "And what he get ya?"

"A kid brother."

"Aw." Heat filled Jason's face. "You're just saying that."

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, all, and welcome! I want to first wish a Happy Holidays to all those who celebrate something at this time of year! Second, I own nothing here but for my original idea and characters. The rest belong to the overlords at DC. I'm simply playing with the characters. I promise to return them in a slightly used, but happy condition.

This piece is meant to represent Jason's first Christmas at Wayne Manor after Bruce brought him to live there.

If you like this piece, please, favorite it! Comments are also deeply appreciated! Take care and have a happy holiday!


End file.
